Gomes made 135 appearances for Spurs after joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2008 for £7.8 million, but fell to third-choice at White Hart Lane after the additions of Brad Friedel and later Hugo Lloris, his last first-team start coming in November 2011.

Leaving for Championship side Watford this summer on a free transfer, the Brazilian’s time at the club overlapped with Levy’s controversial sacking of Harry Redknapp, his replacement Andre Villas-Boas then lasting just 18 months in charge, and the keeper believes it’s moves like that which have held them back.

"I believe that when you run a club, you need to know football. I don’t think he’s a businessman. I don’t think he knows football," he told Sky Sports News.

"He did do great things for Tottenham but he did bad things as well, in terms of decisions. A lot of them weren’t the best decisions at the time."

Asked whether Redknapp’s sacking was one of those decisions, Gomes agreed, while also adding that the significant squad turnover over the past few seasons has destabilised a once strong unit.

"I believe so. Of course that season we didn’t make the Champions League but we were still up there and Harry was doing a really great job," he said.

"When bringing in a new manager, you have to support them and give them time. They brought in seven players last season for a club that was doing very well. That’s a big change."

"They also got rid of good young players like Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore, and players who know the club. I believe that was a low point for the chairman."

With Tim Sherwood lasting just half a season before Mauricio Pochettino was brought in from Southampton, Tottenham are gearing up for another campaign under a new manager, as the club bid to improve upon last season’s sixth-place Premier League finish.

With £105 million-worth of signings last season in the wake of Gareth Bale’s sale to Real Madrid, Spurs have only brought in Swansea City pair Ben Davies and Michel Vorm in recent months, although reports have linked them with another double swoop for Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez, as Pochettino’s former side continue their summer fire sale.

Whether those additions will prove enough to push for a coveted Champions League spot remains to be seen, but another year of stagnation could certainly lead to yet more question being asked of Levy’s leadership in North London.

Freddie Shires

Freddie is a freelance sports writer, having recently completed an MA in Sports Journalism at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham. With an especially keen interest in all things American sports-related, he has written extensively about the NFL, MLS and the U.S. national team for various sites.